Arsenal sign Romania Under-16 captain Vlad Dragomir on 3 year contract

Arsenal have completed the transfer of Romania Under-16 captain Vlad Dragomir as their first signing this summer, according to the Guardian.

The Gunners had to pay £71,000 ($111456) to secure his services from ACS Poli Timisoara and will begin his journey from next week as a first year scholar in the Arsenal academy. The youngster was also being pursued by Inter Milan, but the player believed that Arsenal's offer was the best among the ones he had on hand.

"I am very glad and I hope not to disappoint anyone. The Arsenal offer seemed the best to me, I felt that this is my place," said Dragomir after signing a three-year contract.

His agent Catalin Sarmasan offered him to Arsenal a year back following which the Gunners stepped up their interest in the player.

"I offered Vlad to Arsenal a year and a half ago and they have monitored him closely. In my opinion, he is one of the most talented young players in Europe at the moment," Sarmasan said.

The midfielder is unlikely to stake claim in the first team in the foreseeable future, but Arsenal are looking to invest in quality youngsters for their academy so as to make themselves sustainable for the future.

The Gunners have been heavily compensated by the emergence of Cesc Fabregas, Hector Bellerin, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere over the years, which reveals that the practice holds promise in the long term.

Meanwhile, another new acquisition Danny Welbeck has revealed that in spite of growing up as a Manchester United fan he idolised Thierry Henry and the way he carried himself on the pitch. The Frenchman is Arsenal's highest ever goalscorer and is heralded as among the best strikers to ever grace the Premier League.

"It was hard because I was a United fan and we were playing against Arsenal, but it's hard not to like Thierry Henry," he told Arsenal's official website.

"That's what was so special about him - fans from other teams had to love him because he was that good. At the time all the kids around my area liked Thierry Henry.

"I just loved the way he played, the way he scored goals, the way he played with the team. It was great and it's the same with Ryan Giggs, I loved watching him for Manchester United," he concluded.